How to Stay Well at Work This Winter for Busy Professional Women

Germs.

They’re everywhere.

In the air we breathe, the surfaces we touch, and on the things we wear.

As busy professional women, winter is the season when we’re most concerned about germs. Sickness is apparent as more and more people are coughing around us, blowing noses, and popping lozenges for their sore throats.

Many business owners become hyper-vigilant about avoiding germs during winter. We stop shaking hands, go overboard on the hand sanitizer, and back away from anyone with watery eyes and a runny nose.

The problem with this is that you can’t get away from germs.

Top 10 Worst Hiding Places for Germs in the Workplace

In your workplace, germs are on the things you use each day. Some are obvious. Others we don’t think about. Here are the top 10 most noticeable places for germs:

1. Desk

2. Garbage can

3. Bathroom doorknob

4. Computer keyboard and mouse

5. Desk phone

6. Light switches

7. Pens and pencils

8. Coffee pots and dispensers

9. Elevator buttons

10. Water fountain buttons

According to the Minnesota Department of Health: “A person has more bacteria on their body than there are people in the United States. “

Yikes! That’s a lot of bacteria.

If you’re like most busy professional women, you work in an environment with other people. Maybe you think that it’s inevitable that you’ll get sick this winter. Getting sick happens every winter, oh well.

No. It doesn’t need to be that way!

While many factors at work are out of your control, staying well at work is a factor about which you can do something. Before you give up and give in to getting sick this winter, here are seven holistic things you can do to stay well at work.

Seven Tips to Boost Your Immune System Inside and Out

When it comes to staying well at work, instead of focusing on what not to touch, whose hand not to shake, or spraying Lysol when someone sneezes, boost your immune system inside and out. Here’s how:

1. Take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C daily.

If you keep your immune system healthy, germs will not be able to get a foothold. Vitamin C naturally strengthens your immune system.

2. Boost to 5,000 mg of Vitamin C daily if you’re feeling congested.

3. Take 5,000 mcgs of garlic daily.

Garlic is nature’s antibiotic. To avoid garlic breath or garlicky burps, buy enteric-coated tablets. Since garlic is a blood thinner, skip this tip if you are taking prescribed blood thinning medication.

4. Spray lavender essential oil.

Lavender has healing and antiseptic properties. In the past, it was used to clean wounds and sterilize surgical equipment. It’s powerful! Buy some for your desk. Spray it on your hands as an antiseptic, and on items you want to disinfect. It will smell good in your office, and no one will suspect you’re avoiding germs.

5. Make ginger tea.

Hot water with ginger (a sliver of fresh or in a tea bag) with lemon juice and a small amount of honey while sipped at work has surprising health benefits! Ginger tea with lemon and honey helps you relax, boosts your immune system, and triggers weight loss. What’s not to like about ginger tea?

6. Eliminate sugar.

When at work, don’t eat sugar. Why? Sugar reduces your immune system’s ability to fight off germs by 75%! Instead, purchase some candy sweetened with xylitol, such as Tom & Jenny’s Original Caramels if you’d like a sweet treat during the day.

7. Get plenty of sleep at night – not during the day!

Not getting enough sleep lowers the effectiveness of your immune system and makes you drowsy during the day. In a previous blog post, I wrote about five things you can do to get a good night’s sleep.

Germs. They’re all around us and are difficult to avoid. However, as busy professional women, there are things you can do to stay well at work this winter. Instead of focusing on what not to touch, whose hand not to shake, or spraying Lysol when someone sneezes, boost your immune system inside and out with these seven tips. Here’s to a happy and healthy winter!